THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS FROM THE BIRTH OF JESUS TO 21ST CENTURY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
Any story begins with a certain change in a linear path, and suddenly everything changes rapidly. The story of Christmas is all about this vast change brought about by an individual who is said to be an angel sent by God. He came on Earth to make people believe in one true god, and thus, the world never remained the same; everyone came to know about the birth of Jesus Christ, as did the religion of Christianity, which began with him.
ORIGIN OF CHRISTMAS
The story of Christmas goes alongside the origin of Christianity. Although the Christmas celebration as we know it started around 336 CE during the reign of the Roman Emperor, Constantine, it was the time when the entirety of the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as their religion, and the date of the birth of Jesus Christ was recalled with great interest. Therefore, December 25 was celebrated as the day of Christmas, although the date of the birth of Jesus Christ was highly controversial. December 25 was also the date of the beginning of the Winter Solstice, which had high significance in earlier local traditions. Almost everyone can say that it was the best way to merge with local traditions for public acceptance of Christianity as a new religion.
The story of Christmas tells about the nativity of Jesus, or how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. It is recorded in the biblical gospels of Luke and Matthew that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, the city of Judaea, within the Roman Empire. However, these two accounts around the birth of Jesus, i.e., the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, often contradict the story of Christmas. For example, the Gospel of Luke tells us about an angel named Gabriel speaking to Mother Mary, whereas Matthew mentions the same angel talking to Joseph. Joseph was the husband of Mary, but he was not the biological father of Jesus Christ.
Both Luke and Matthew agree that Mary was engaged to Joseph. However, she was found to have had a child before they lived together. This was considered to be the divine intervention that Gabriel informed her earlier—that she would be blessed with a God’s child. However, it is only Matthew who talks about the three wise men and the star of Bethlehem. Therefore, there has been an immense academic and theological discourse over the birth of Jesus Christ, the entire origin of Christianity, and the story of Christmas.
BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
In the city of Bethlehem, around 6 BCE to 4 BCE, there was a woman named Mary who was engaged to a man called Joseph. It is believed that he was a descendant of King David, the third king of the United Kingdom of Israel. Today, Bethlehem City lies in the State of Palestine.
Mary was a virgin when she got pregnant with baby Jesus, and so it is believed that the prophecy of Angel Gabriel has been fulfilled. Some sects of Christianity also believe that Mary was a virgin before the birth of Jesus Christ, and she remained a virgin even after his birth throughout her lifetime. Although a few modern academics and historians have been arguing over this Nativity story, Later, after the birth of Jesus Christ, as per the Gospel of Matthew, three wise men came to visit baby Jesus and bestowed him with three special gifts. However, this gospel was written much later, in the centuries ahead. Thus, it is often considered to be a later addition to the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
CHRISTMAS STORY - THREE WISE MEN
The Gospel of Matthew talks about a special Christmas story that has remained with us even today. The story of Christmas remains incomplete without recalling the Christmas story of three wise men or three magnificent kings who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. These three wise men were foreigners to the Land of Bethlehem. They followed the bright star of Bethlehem that shone into the sky when baby Jesus was born. Today, the story of Christmas isn’t complete without the re-enactment of the story of the Three Wise Men. Even while staging the Nativity scenes, these three magnificent kings are shown alongside the figurines of Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus. Therefore, every Christmas crib set includes all these significant figures.
Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were the three gifts brought by these three wise men. Often, these gifts are found to be very ordinary, but theories have devised a deeper meaning and hidden symbolism in these gifts. Gold is seen as a representation of kingship on earth. A symbol of deity lies in the gift of frankincense or incense. Whereas, a symbol of death is in the gift of myrrh, i.e., an embalming oil. The Christmas story always includes these three magi, namely Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar. According to a 1923 article in Encyclopedia Britannica, it is stated that Western Church traditions say that Balthazar was presented as the King of Arabia, Melchior as the King of Persia, and Caspar as the King of India. However, this statement of these three wise men being kings of some foreign locations was a much later addition to this biblical story of the Three Magi.
SANTA CLAUS
Similar to this concept of someone bringing gifts to baby Jesus comes a Christmas story about Santa Claus. In Western Christian culture, the concept of a big, fat old man bringing special gifts to children at midnight between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day makes up most of the Christmas stories told all around the world. Santa Claus goes by numerous names, including Father Christmas and Saint Nicholas. Saint Nick, or simply Santa. The imagery of today’s Santa Claus has evolved through multiple variations over the centuries. It is believed that the story of Christmas about Santa Claus is actually an amalgamation of two figures at first, i.e., St. Nicholas and Father Christmas, both of whom are found to be mythical in church history. Over the years, more additional imagery from the Dutch and British colonial eras brought up a healthy and fat yet adorable Santa Claus in red and white apparel. Therefore, today’s Santa Claus is so popular even amongst non-Christian communities due to his affection and work towards the children.
MOST POPULAR STORY OF CHRISTMAS AMONGST ALL CHRISTMAS STORIES
Much later in human history, if one could say that the story of Christmas gained widespread popularity and acceptance even in non-Christian communities, it is dedicated to Charles Dickens. Dickens was an author of bestselling books, and his 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol, is the epitome of Christmas stories. Today, every bookstore in the world must have at least a copy of this masterpiece.
Among all the Christmas stories, A Christmas Carol is said to highlight and give more prominence to the Christmas spirit. The spirit of family members coming together, cooking a meal, and sharing it together is all that Dickens’ novel speaks about, and it made him very popular with children as well as adults. A Christmas carol talks about an old man who has lost faith in the spirit of Christmas. He is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve: the ghost of Christmas past, the ghost of Christmas present, and the ghost of Christmas future. They show him certain aspects of his life that revive his faith, and thus, this story of Christmas is almost relatable to every single individual in the world, irrespective of their religion.
FAQs
WHEN WAS JESUS BORN?
It is believed that the birth of Jesus Christ happened between 6 and 4 BCE in the city of Bethlehem in the Roman Empire. Today, this city is a part of the State of Palestine.
WHERE WAS JESUS BORN?
Bethlehem is the city where the birth of Jesus Christ took place through the divine intervention of God with a woman, namely Mary. This city was in the Judaea province of the Roman Empire. Today, it is a part of the State of Palestine.
WHAT IS THE MOST POPULAR CHRISTMAS STORY?
Apart from the traditional story of three wise men visiting Baby Jesus to bestow gifts, Charles Dickens’ 1843 novel ‘A Christmas Carol’ is the most popular Christmas story amongst all of the Christmas stories in the world.
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